Mattress With Integrated Foam Component

ABSTRACT

A mattress, preferably for use on a bed, comprising a plurality of springs ( 2 ) arranged in a mattress body. The mattress is characterized in that at least a part of the mattress body is formed of an insert element ( 5 ) of foam plastic material. This insert element is preferably positioned at the end of the mattress.

The present invention relates to a mattress, preferably for use on abed. The bed may be a conventional bed or a bed of the box mattresstype.

The invention may also be used in other areas of application where it isappropriate to use a mattress of the spring mattress type.

A spring mattress is in accordance with the prior art constructed of aplurality of springs which are encased in a mattress body. The springsprovide the main elasticity of the mattress. Reference is made to DE2744412, which shows an example of a mattress with an insert material.

The springs in a mattress are dimensioned to provide good comfort to aperson in a lying position. Many beds today are also used as sittingfurniture. This is particularly the case in hotels, on board cruiseships etc. However, the springs in a bed mattress are not designed towithstand the load from a person in a sitting position. Because someparts of the beds appear as most convenient for sitting, these parts areespecially subjected to wear. Repeated sitting activity on these chosenparts causes deterioration of the elastic properties of the springs thatare in the chosen area. The result is that the bed emerges as having oneor more sagging or uneven portions.

It is thus a problem that the springs in a small area of the bed areworn out long before the other springs in the mattress, and there is agreat need to find solutions capable of reducing the local wear to whicha spring mattress according to today's solution is subjected.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple solutionwhich remedies the drawbacks described in connection with theaforementioned problem.

One solution to this problem is to replace the part or parts of thespring mattress that is/are most subjected to sitting with an insertelement having material properties which better withstand the loadapplied to the mattress when it is constantly used as something to siton.

According to the present invention, at least one part of the mattressbody is formed of an insert element of foam plastic material. The insertelement is preferably positioned at the end of the mattress, for examplethe foot end which is often chosen as something to sit on. The insertelement may of course also be positioned at other locations in themattress, for example, in the middle of the mattress. The incorporationof the insert material into the area of the mattress that is anticipatedto be used as something to sit on prevents local wear of the mattress.The foam plastic material has material properties which withstandsitting load, and the elasticity of the insert element is little reducedin the course of a given period, compared with the mattress springs.

As one of skill in the art will understand, the insert element can beintegrated into the mattress in different ways depending on the type ofmattress and the conditions in which the mattress is to be used.According to the invention, the insert element is arranged so as to bedetachably fastened to the mattress body, thus allowing the insertelement to be replaced as required and allowing the mattress body to beturned independently of the insert element. The insert element may alsobe arranged to be reversible, it being possible, for example, to providethe insert element with two sides of different firmness.

Various foam plastic materials can be used in the insert element. Oneexample of such a material is porolon.

The springs in the mattress may be arranged in different ways and theymay have either the same or different spring characteristics. In oneembodiment, the springs may be arranged in one layer and in anotherembodiment they may be arranged in several layers, the springs in thedifferent layers having the same or different spring characteristics.Each individual spring may be pocketed. The spring in that case isenveloped by an enveloping material, and this arrangement counteractstransmission of the motion of each individual spring to the surroundingsprings.

To provide a reversible mattress, the mattress may be provided with twolayers of springs, the springs in each layer being so arranged that thetwo sides have differing degrees of softness. The mattress may be a boxmattress or a mattress for placing in a frame for a bed. Furthermore,the mattress or box mattress may be configured with one or more roundedcorners in case it is to be used in small rooms or in rooms in whichthere is little space between the pieces of furniture. Furthermore, themattress may be provided with an upper mattress and covers of differenttypes in accordance with the prior art.

As one of skill in the art will appreciate, the insert element can beintegrated into the mattress in different ways depending on the type ofmattress and the conditions in which the mattress is to be used. Theinsert element may be arranged so as to be replaceable and optionallyreversible, it being possible to provide the insert element with twosides of different firmness.

The insert element when installed in the mattress may have a thicknessthat is equivalent to the thickness of the mattress, that is to say thatthe insert extends throughout the mattress in the thickness directionthereof. Alternatively, the insert element may constitute a part of thetotal thickness of the mattress when the insert element is mounted inthe mattress.

The insert element may be positioned in the mattress so that one sideface thereof is substantially flush with the surface of the mattressbody. Alternatively, the insert element can be positioned deeper in themattress, it then being possible to place additional elements on top ofthe insert element in order to obtain a level mattress surface.

When the mattress is reversible and constructed of two spring layers,one insert is integrated into one of the spring layers whilst a secondinsert is integrated into the other spring layer.

An example of one embodiment of the invention will be described belowwith reference to the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a view of a spring mattress body in accordance with theinvention that is to be used in a box mattress. The spring mattress body1 in this figure is shown configured with a rounded corner so that itwill fit into a frame that is configured with a rounded corner. Thespring mattress body 1 consists of a main mattress incorporating firstspring layer 2 and an under-mattress incorporating second spring layer3. The spring mattress body 1 is equipped with an upper mattress 4. Areplaceable and optionally reversible insert element 5 is formed of afoam plastic material and is positioned at the foot end of the mattress.The insert element 5 does not extend throughout the mattress in thethickness direction thereof, but has a thickness which constitutes apart of the thickness of the mattress, the insert element extending downto the under-mattress which forms the bottom of the bed.

FIG. 2 shows a spring mattress body 1 like the one shown in FIG. 1. InFIG. 2 the spring mattress body 1 is placed in frame 6 which forms theside walls of the box mattress. The other reference numerals are thesame as those used in FIG. 1.

1. A mattress, preferably for use as part of a bed, comprising aplurality of springs arranged in a mattress body, characterized in thatat least a part of the mattress body is formed of an insert element offoam plastic material and that this insert element is preferablypositioned at the end of the mattress, the insert element beingdetachably fastened to the mattress body.
 2. A mattress according toclaim 1, characterized in that the insert element is replaceable andoptionally reversible.
 3. A mattress according to claim 1, characterizedin that one side face of the insert element is substantially flush withthe surface of the mattress body or with an upper mattress placed on topof the mattress body.
 4. A mattress according to claim 1, characterizedin that the springs are arranged in one or more layers and/or that thesprings have different spring characteristics.
 5. A mattress accordingto claim 1, characterized in that some of the springs are individuallyenveloped by enveloping material.
 6. A mattress according to claim 1,characterized in that the mattress body is reversible.
 7. A mattressaccording to claim 4, characterized in that one foam plastic componentis integrated into one of the spring layers whilst a second foamcomponent is integrated into the other spring layer.
 8. A mattressaccording to claim 1, characterized in that it is a box mattress.
 9. Amattress according to claim 1, characterized in that it has at least onerounded corner.